Black Caimans Project

Once hunted nearly to extinction in the Brazilian Amazon, the black caiman is among the largest and least known of the crocodile cousins. Strict anti-hunting laws and protected habitats are helping black caiman make a comeback, but poachers remain a constant threat. Wild Chronicles wades into caiman-filled waters with NGS/Waitt grantee John Thorbjarnarson to explore the feasibility of a sustainable caiman-harvest program.

Editor's Note: Dr. Thorbjarnarson, a herpetologist, died at the age of 52 on Feb. 14, 2010 in New Delhi. The Wildlife Conservation Society, his employer, said he had contracted malaria while studying the dwarf crocodile in Uganda. He died of the disease after coming to India to speak to a wildlife group.